Machine



(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

0. P. BRIGCTS. i

STAPLE MAKING MACHINE.

No.' 325,814. Patented Sept. 8.1885.

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O. BRIGGS. STAPLB MAKING MACHINE. y No. 325,814. Patented Sept. 8, 1885.

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my invention is i INTTED STATES PATENT Orifice..

ORLANDO P. BRIGGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THORN WIRE HEDGE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

`STAFLl-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,814, dated September 8, 1885.

` Application filed October 18, 1884. (No model.)

TaaZZ whom/it may concern: Be it known that I, ORLANDO l?. BRIGes of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Staples 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, l

as scrap or waste and sold or thrown away as such,as well as upon wire in coils; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.,V p

The machine herein illustrated as embodying provided with a stationary shear-blade, and one or more revolving shearblades constructed to operate in connection with the stationary blade to cut the wire into blanks of-the desired length, a Ystationary bender, over or around which the staples are bent or formed, one or more revolving benders that act severally in conjunction with each of the revolving shear-blades to bend the Wire around the said stationary bender to form the staple, and a suitable feed mechanism for continuously feeding the wire to the cutting andv Certain devicesfor accu#l bending devices. rately adjusting the various working parts of the machine with relation to each other and for insuring the stability of such adjustment when once obtained are also provided, vas will more clearly appear from the accompanying drawings, and in the following detailed description ofthe said machine. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, a part of the frame and a part of the rotating disk that carries the revolving shear-blades and benders being cut away in order to show other working parts more clearly. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of detail of the disk that carries the revolving shear-blades and benders. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of an adjustable guideblock used toV keep the disk to its work and prevent the shear-blades from springing away from each other when cutting the wire. Fig. 6 is a section in detail of a portion of the disk on the line x x of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a similar sectionof the same on the line g/ y of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the end of the vstationary cutting-knife. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail plan section of Fig. 2. Fig. l0 is an enlarged detail vertical section of Fig. l. Fig. l1 is a detail plan view showing a device for removing the nished staples from the stationary bender. Figfl? is a detail side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1l. Figs. 13, 14, and 15 are fragmentary views in detail of devices for clamping and holding the wire while the blank is being cut from it.

Asillustrated in the drawings, A is the main frame or bed-plate of the machine, and B is the main driving-shaft thereof, which is `supported in bearings aa upon the said frame.

C is a metal disk, which is rigidly secured to the said shaft and which carries a series of revolving cutters or shear-blades, c c.

machine, and F is a stationary shear-blade which operates in connection with the revolving cutters c c'to cut or shear from the wire fed into the machine the blanks to form the4 staples. The disk C also carries a series of I enders" cc which are arranred radiall in the machine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation in E are feed-rolls for supplying the wire to the I line with the gutterscb, and operate in connection with the said cutters, and astationary prong or bender, G, -supported upon the machine-frame to bend the blanks into the desired 'i form.

The feed-rolls E are located one above and one below the path of the wire in the usual manner, and are provided with suitable opposing grooves t0 receive the latter, and a guide-tube, e, is preferably provided in connection with the rolls for directing the wire to the grooves thereof, and a second guide-tube,-

e, is also provided for the" rolls to the cutters. A clamping device consisting of two relatively movable jaws, H

uidinfr the wire from g e IOO slot being Vshaped,'and the top of the jaw of corresponding shape, so as to hold the parts in alignment vwith each other. The engagement of the jaw with the slot also serves to prevent the bolt from rotating when the nut h is turned for the purpose of adjusting the spring. The lower corners of the clampjaws H H adjacent to the feed-rolls, are preferably beveled or rounded 'in order to more readily admit the advance end ofthe wire beneath them, as shown in Fig. `1.() and in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 13.

The stationary cutter or shear-blade F is, as herein shown, formed upon the end of a rectangular shank, F', which is secured in a seat or recess, D, formed in the casting D, adjacent to the upright D2 thereof, and the bender G is similarly constructed with a shank, G', which is also held within the said recessD, a spacing piece or block,f, being inserted between the shank of the knife and bender to properly tix their distanceapart. Said knife and bender are, as a preferred construction, secured in the reoessfby means of a wedge, j", inserted between the bender and a lip or flange, d8, upon the casting D, which flange forms the rear wall of the said recess. A second spacing-piece, g, is also, as herein shown, located between the wedge and bender.

In order to hold the wedge firmly in its seat and to enable it to be readily tightened when desired, said wedge is provided with a screwthreaded cylindric prolongation, f3, which passes through a flange or plate, dg, forming the side wall-of the recess D4, and is provided upon its outer end with a nut, f2, adapted to draw the said wedge inwardly for the purpose of tightening the parts within the recess. A cap, f4, is placed over the recess Dfor the purpose of holding the bender, wedge, and

spacing-pieces in place, the said cap beingl secured in place by boltsfsy8 inserted through the cap and into the flange da.

For the purpose of holding the bender from longitudinal movement, and to permit its ad justment longitudinally when desired, a setscrew, ,/,Yis,y as herein shown, inserted through the cap f4 in position to bear upon the shank of the said bender.

lThe shank F of the shear-blade F is held firmly in contact with the bottom of the recess Dl by means of a vertically-placed plate or gib, ff, the lower edge of which bears upon the top of the said shank and the upper edge of which is beveled and adapted to bear against the lower .inclined surface of a horizontal rib, d10, formed upon the upright D2. The said plate or gibf9 is held adjustably in place by a screw bolt, fm, which passes horizontally through the said plate and into the upright d2, whereby the said plate may be drawn `inwardly so as to give a desired pressure upon the shank Ff to hold the shear-blade rmly in place. The shearblade may be adjusted laterally, referring to its cuttingedge, by means of a horizontal setscrew,j, preferably pro- Vdedwith ajamnut,f12, andinserted through the :flange or rib dgso as to bear at its 'inner end upon the end of the shank F of said shear-blade. f

The'cutting-edge of the shear-blade F is ar ranged obliquely in the path of the wire passing from the guide-tube e', and the opposing cuttingedges of the revolving cutters c are correspondingly inclined, the angle of said cutting-edges tothe axis of the wire being such that the ends of the blanks will loecut with suitably-tapered points.

' As preferably constructed, a guide piece or plate, F2, is located between the shank F of the shear-blade F and the gibf, with its end or working face at one side of the path ofthe wire, as clearly shown in Figs.` 8, 9, and 10.` The purpose of the said plate F2 is to afford lateral support for the portion of the wire over the knife-edge, so that the wire will be held from movement away from the movable blade during the operation of shearing. The said plate Fimay be adjusted so as to com pensate for wear by means of a set-screw,f13, inserted through the ange d" and bearing upon theend of said plate, as shown.

The revolving shear blades or cutters c, of which there4 are four in the machine shown `in the drawings, are held rigidly in the disk G by having their shanks C inserted in slots or recesses C2 in the said disk and secured in said.

recesses by means of wedges c2 and c3. The studs or benders c', which operate in' conjunction with the'cutters c to bend the staples over thev stationary bender G, are also held in the said slots C2 by the wedges c2 and c3, the slots being of L shape and the wedges arranged to act at right angles to eachother upon two adjacent sides of the cutters and benders, so as to clamp them firmly against the opposing sides ofthe slots. Filling pieces or blocks c7 c8 are herein shown as inserted between the wedges e? and the benders and between the cutters c and the benders,v respectively, the

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said blocks being of proper thickness to retain4 the cutter and bender in the proper relation` to each other, to the stationary shear-blade F,

and the bender G.

As herein shown, the slots CZ are extended entirely through the disk C, and the wedges c2 and c3 are provided attheir smaller ends with cylindric screw-threaded prolongations' c4 and c5, which pass through suitable apertures in the plates c6, secured to thedisk over the recesses and are adapted to bear on the plates, whereby the said wedges may be tightcned, as desired. The cutting`edges of the cutters may be adj usted nearer to or farther from the disk by means of set-screwsA o9, in-

serted through the plate c, so as to bear upon the inner ends ofthe cutters, and provided wit-h jamb-nuts, as shown.

preferably L The stationary bender G is so located with i reference to the revolving cutters c and loend-V ers c', Vthat the latter pass the' said stationary` bender at either sideof the latter and at a disness of the wire operated up0n.`

[tance therefrom slightly greater than the thick- In the machine herein shown the disk C is provided with four sets of cutters and benders,

' and the pulleys B upon the driving-shaft B,

f tion of the disk.

and the pulley E2, upon the feed-roller shaft E', are proportioned to drive the feed-rollers at the proper speed to advance over the stationary cutter and bender sufficient wire to form one staple during each quarter-revolu- The oblique cutting-edges of the Stationary and movable cutters are inclined rearwardly and away from the face ofthe disk C, so that the longest portion of the said cutters is adjacent to the stationary bender and extends over the end of the wire or stapleblank, so as to rest across the stationary bender at the moment the blank is severed by the ac` tion of the said stationary and movable cutters. The advance edge or face of each of the movable benders c is located approximately in the same plane with the advance face of the movable cutter c, so that said movable bender strikes and depresses 'the end of the stapleblank which projects past the stationary bender G at the same moment that the blank is severed and carried downwardly at t-he side of the stationary bender by the action of the said movable cutter. The upper or top surface of the bender G is, as herein shown, rounded and located slightly below the plane of the shearblade F, so that the blank is entirely'severed before the end of t-he blank which is beneath the cutter is carried downwardly thereby. The path of the revolving cutters and benders being curved, the ends ofthe staple-blank will `:obviously be carried slightly toward the center of the disk C in the downward movement of thecutters and benders. For this reason the lower portion of the stationary bender is, as herein shown, cut away or inclined at its side adjacent to the cutters c to permit the free passage of the said cutters. The same re` sult may, however, be effected by slightly inclining the stationary bender so as to bring its loweredge at about the same distance from the center of the disk as its upper surface.

The staple, after being formed in the manner above described, will be left astride of the stationary bender, and may be removed therefrom by any automatically-acting device adapted to thrust it laterally outward so that it will fall from the end of the said bender. As a simple and convenient device for discharging the staples, means are herein shown, constructed as follows:

Upon the face of the disk C at the rear of each of the benders c' is placed a cam-plate, I, having an overhanging radially projecting part, l', the outer edge of which is adapted to pass close to the rear face of the bender G, and is provided with a cam-face, z', inclined backwardly and toward the surface of the disk and adapted to engage one side of the leg or staple left upon the said bender so as to move it laterally until it falls from the end thereof. The cam-platesl are preferably secured to the disks by means of bolts i', passing through slots i2 in said plates, wherebythe outer edges thereof may be accurately adjusted with reference to the stationary bender. The outer edges, i3, of the o verhanging parts l are preferably formed upon a circular curve approximately concentric with the disk, so that the said plates may be adjusted to pass close to the stationary bender throughout their entire length without touching it.

ln the operation of the revolving cutters c and the shear-blades in shearing the wire to form the staple-blanks there will obviously be some tendency in the opposing cutters to separate from each other, and it is noti always practicable to entirely prevent endwise movement in the shaft or spring in the parts of the machine so as to hold the cutters properly up to their work. l have therefore provided in the machine herein illustrated a guide piece or block, J. which is rigidly attached to the machine-frame and arranged to bear against the surface of the disk near its periphery at a point opposite the stationary cutter, the said block preferably being adjustably supported upon the machine-frame so that its bearingface may be adjusted with reference to the disk as found necessary or desirable in the operation of the machine. As illustrated in the drawings, the block J is supported in a bearing or recess formed in a raised portion,

a2, of the bed-plate A, and is held in the said recess by means of a cap, a3, secured over the recess by suitable screws or bolts. As a means of adjusting the said block, a horizontal set-screw, j, provided with ajam-nut, j', is inserted through the part t2 of the bed-plate and adapted to bear upon the end of the block. ln order to give a more extended bearing-surface between the block J. and the disk the said block is preferably provided with a downwardly-projecting curved portion, J', (shown more plainly in Fig. 5 of the drawings,) adapted to bear throughoutits entire length upon the disk. The contact-surfaces of the disk and the block J are usually lubricated to prevent friction between the parts.

The clamping device consisting of the jaws or strips H H', before described, obviously operates to hold the wire being operated upon rmly in position at a point close to the shearblades. The use of the said clamping device, as far as the general operation ofthe machine is concerned, is obviously not essential. The object of said clamping device is more especially to provide means for holding the wire accurately in position with reference to the knife and bender, notwithstanding any wear that may take place in the guide-surfaces with which the wire is in contact. The lower jaw, H, ofthe clamping device being vertically adjustable, its upper guide-surface may obviously be moved upwardly as fast as it is worn away, and the upper jaw, H", being held in contact with the wire by the spring H2, will move downwardly as it becomes worn, and any lateral play in the wire which would be permitted by the enlargement of the guide- IOO IIO

the said bed-plate.

aperture by wearifthe parts of the clamp were stationary will thereby be prevented.

As a preferred means of adj ustably securing to the bed-plate A the casting D, in order to enable the shear-blade F and bender G upon the casting to be adjusted with -reference to the Vrevolving cutters and benders, the said bed-plate is provided uponitsupper horizontal surface with an upwardly-projecting rib, a, arranged at right angles with the axis of the crank-shaft and adapted to engage the lower opening of a T-groove, d, formed in the bottom face of the casting D. The said rib operates to hold the casting accurately in position laterally with reference to the disk c. The said casting is firmly clamped upon the bed-plate by means of headed bolts cl2 engaged with the said groove d and extending through The casting D is preferably provided upon its inner face adjacent to the bearing or pillow-block a of the shaft B with a set-screw, d', which is tapped into the casting and adapted to bear at its outer end Vagainst the vertical face of the said bearing.'

The said screw d/ is adapted at its end for the application of awrench,and is provided with a jam-nut, and its purpose is both to move the casting D upon the bedf plate when the bolts d2 are loosened in adjusting the casting,l and also to enable the casting to be returned accurately to its proper` position when removed or shifted for the or repairs.

Instead of driving the feed-rollers by means of the belt-pulleys B and E2, suitably-proportioned intermeshing gear wheels` may obviously be used` for the same purpose, and in some cases, perhaps, with more accurate results.

In the machine herein shown the disk Gis provided with four sets of cutters and benders, and the feeding devices are driven at the proper speed to advance sufiici ent wire toform a staple during each quarter revolution of the disk. It is obviously notl necessary that the exact number of revolving cutters and benders herein shown should be used, and the disk or other revolving cutter-support which may be usedin its place may be provided with one, two, three, or more than four of said cutters and disks, according Vto the size and weight of the cutter support, the speed desired, or oth er considerations. The feed devices herein shown may obviously be adapted to any number of cutters and benders by properly proportioning the pulleys or gears by which the feed rollers are actuated soa-s to cause a length of wire suflcient for a staple to be fed across the bender during the interval between the passage past the latter, of each of the revolving cutters and benders.

The feed of the wire being continuous in the machine shown, the revolving cutters c are backwardly and rearwardly inclined or beveled from their cutting-edges, so as to permit the forward movement of the wire past the cutter after it has severed the staplepurpose of cleaning Itis obviously practicable, however, to make the operation ofthe feed-rolls intermittent by thense of any one `of the several well-known devices for this purpose; butthe use of acontinuous feed is` preferred, for the reason that l a much greater speed in themachine `and a corresponding larger `production may be obtained with a continuous than with an intermittent feed. i t

p By mounting the movable parts of the eutting and bending devices soA that they may be revolved continuously around a fixed center these parts may be driven past the stationary parts .to form staples at a much higher speed than would be possible where the usual reciprocating, rectilineal, or circular motion is employed, whereby it becomes practicable to use a continuous feed, and theproduct of a single machine is greatly increased. Inthis construction, also, the impetus acquiredby the rapid movements of heavy moving parts is utilized to a large extentin doing useful Work, instead of being expended in wearing out the machine, as is the case where reciprocating parts of great weight are used. 4,

I claim as my invention- 1. In a staple-making machine comprising a stationary shear-blade and bender and one or more movable shear-blades and benders, the combination, with the parts mentioned,

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of feed-rollers for the wire and a clamping, device for guiding the'wire to the shearblades, consisting of anadjustable jaw, H, and an opposing` yielding jaw,`Hsubstan tially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for making staples,the combination, with the feed-rollers E E and the shear-blades, of a` clampingr device comprising a stationary part or jaw, H, a` movable jaw, H', and a spring applied to the movable jaw to holdjit yieldingly in contact Awith the wire, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the feedrollers E Eand the shear-blades, of a clamping-device comi prising a stationary part or jaw, H, amovable jaw, H, a spring applied to the movable jawl to hold it yieldingly in contact with the wire,

i and means, substantiallyas described, for ad-v j usting the force of the spring, and for the purpose set forth. j

4. In a machine f o-r making staples, the combination, with the feed-rollers E E and the4 shear-blades, of a guide, e', for directing the, wire -from the feed-rollers to the shearfblades, provided with notches e9 ew, at its end adjaf, cent to the shear-blade,r anda clamping-device comprising a stationaryjaw, H, and an opposf,

substantially as ing yieldingjaw, H", said jaws beingarranged with their adjacent ends within .the said notches, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. f 5. Ina machine for making staples, the

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combination, with the feed-rolls E E,and the shear-blades, of a clamping-device comprising a stationary jaw, H, a movable jaw, II', a sliding bolt, h2, having bearings in the rnachine-frame and adapted to bear upon the said movable jaw, and provided with a nut, 1L', and a spring interposed between a stationary part of the frame and the nut, the nut being adjustable upon the bolt for the purpose of varying the pressure of the clamp-substantially as and i'or the purpose set fort-h.

6. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the machine-frame providedwith a recess, D, and an upright, D2, provided with a rib, d1, of the shear-blade F, having a shank, F', a wedge, f', inserted between the Wside wall of the recess and the shank F' for holding the shear-blade from lateral displacement, and a gib, ff. adapted to bear upon the top of the shank F' and the rib di", and a screw-bolt, f1", for adjustably holding said gib in place, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the machine-frame provided with a recess, D", of a bender, G, a wedge, f', and set screw, g', for holding said bender in place within the recess, substanstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the machine-frame provided with a recess, D4, and a cap, ft, placed over said recess, of a shear-blade, F, having a rectangular shank, F', locatedY within the v said recess, a bender, G, a spacing-piece, f,

inserted between the shank F' and the bender, and a wedge, f', for clamping the shear-blade and bender within the recess, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with a revolving disk, C, provided with L-shaped recesses C2, of shearblades c, and benders c', Yinserted in said recesses, and wedges ci and c3, adapted to bear at right angles upon the said shear-blades and benders to secure the latter in place, substantially as described. l

Y10. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with a disk` C, provided with recess C2 and with plates c, covering said recesses, of shear-bladesV c, wedges for securing the said shear-blades in place within the recesses, and set-screws c, inserted through the said plates and bearing upon the shear-blades, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The eombination,with astationaryshearblade and a stationary bender, of a revolving disk carrying one or more shear-blades and a.

Vcorresponding number ofbenders, and one or more cam-plates I, secured to the said disk, and adapted to engage the nished staples and remove them from the bender, substantially as described.

12. Thecombination,withastationaryshearblade and bender and a revolving disk carrying one or more shear-blades and a corresponding number of benders, of a block, J, adapted to bear upon the marginal portion of said disk at its side opposite the stationary shearblade, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination, with the frame of a staplemaking machine, a stationary shearblade and bender thereon, and a revolving disk carrying one or more shear-blades and a corresponding number of benders, of a block, J, secured upon the frame, and adjustable thereon with reference to the disk, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14. In a staple machine, the combination, with the machine-frame and a revolving disk, C, of a block, J, mounted upon the machineframe and provided with a projection, J', at its end, fcrming an extended bearing-surface in contact with the disk, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with a bed-plate, A, of a casting, D, adjustably attached to said bed-plate, a stationary shear-blade and bender secured upon the said casting D, and a revolving disk, C, mounted upon the said bed-plate and earrying one or more shear-blades and a corresponding number of benders, whereby the said stationary shear-blade and bender may be adjusted wit-hreference to the disk, substantially as described.

16. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the bed-plate A, provided with a rib, a4, of a casting, D, provided with a groove, d, adapted to fit over the said rib, and bolts d2 d2, for securing the said casting to the bed-plate, a stationary shear-blade and bender secured upon the said casting D, and a revolving disk mounted upon the said bed-plate and carrying one or more shear-blades and a corresponding number of benders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In a machine for making staples, the combination, with the bed-plate A, provided with a rib, a, upon its upper surface, of a casting, D, provided 'with a groove, d, bolts cl2 d2, for securing the casting to the bed-plate, and a'set-screw, d',"for determining Ythe position of the casting upon the bed-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claimV the foregoing as ICC IIO

IIS

my invention I aftlx my signature in presence y of two witnesses.

ORLANDO I. BRIGGS.

Vitnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, OLIVER E. PAGIN.

(No Model.)

A. H; BROTHERS.'

NEEDLE PRESSER `FOR VKNITTING MACHINES'.

10,325,815 'Patented Sept. s; 1885. Z

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